The Kenyan government has declared gender-based violence the country’s most urgent security threat.
The Kenyan government declared gender-based violence the country’s most urgent security threat on Thursday. In just the last four months, 100 women have been killed, most of whom were murdered by men they knew, including intimate partners.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi referred to the escalating crisis as “the elephant in the room” and stated that authorities were investigating most of the cases pending in court.
Mudavadi highlighted that since September 2023, 7,107 cases of sexual and gender-based violence have been reported in Kenya, adding that a police officer had established a special unit to address femicide, which refers to the killing of women and girls due to their gender.
As Kenya grapples with the silent epidemic of gender-based violence, human rights groups have staged protests calling for justice for victims and their families.
Special Task Force
A report released in November, marking the start of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign, revealed that Africa had the highest rate of femicides in 2023.
In November, President William Ruto instructed the police to investigate cases of gender-based violence while painting a grim picture of the murders.
“We know that four out of every five women killed in Kenya are victims of intimate partner violence. This means our women are being killed in places where they should feel safe,” said Ruto.
This week, the Kenyan Cabinet approved the establishment of a presidential working group to offer recommendations on how to stop gender-based violence.
